The first and most relevant task of advertising is to get noticed. If that is not achieved discussions on creativity and relevance are secondary. A majority of ads – be it in the online or offline world, are simply ignored. In today’s context the timeless truth of an advert having to break the clutter of the environment it is seen in, is even more important. There are truck loads of creative, engaging content in the form of memes, images, videos and articles written by common folk. Brand communications have to be better than what is seen by the consumer on that platform or medium. In that context here are a few creative ads which caught my eye this week:
Apple: Snowbrawl
The ‘Shot on iPhone’ outdoor campaign was a great example of ‘show & tell’. In order to convey that the iPhone takes great pictures they chose not to rattle off the camera specifications but instead demonstrated what it could do. The credibility factor went up as such images were taken by users and not by the company or ad agency. A new ad showcasing the video capabilities of the iPhone 11 Pro follows a similar template. Director David Leitch used the phone to create this compelling snow fight showcasing the video quality and effects possible.
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab, USA
Aviaton Gin: The Gift That Doesn’t Give Back
‘Moment marketing‘ has become a much abused word of later. Ever since the much celebrated tweet of Oreo from 2013 during the Super Bowl’s massive power outage, several brands have tried to extract mileage from the news of the day or major events & occasions. Since it doesn’t cost money to put out a tweet, unlike air time, brands have become obsessed with creating social media posts related to something from the news cycle.
In my view, this has led to a lot of white noise on social media with irrelevant, boring, often pointless posts from brands. A majority of them don’t have a link to the brand and the link, if any is tenuous or a force-fit. The reason for brands continuing to indulge in such is just FOMO – fear of missing out. Digital agencies, even those from top networks are complicit as they have to find ways to justify their retainer fee and worse, mistakenly think that these would improve their ‘digital’ credentials. Sure, if done well (which is a rarity) such efforts can garner free publicity, create awareness and make the brand look ‘cool’ – which is perhaps the only thing brands desperately want to be.
In this context comes a video for Aviation Gin, which is in response to an ad for Peloton exercise bike which was much discussed just couple of days ago. Firstly, on the Peloton ad: it is not the world’s first ‘regular’ (read ‘run of the mill) ad. Peloton’s Christmas ad, “The Gift That Gives Back” shows a lady receiving the electric bike as a gift. She then records her workouts and strangely enough watches it over with her husband. The ad got a lot of negative publicity on social media. As ‘traditional’ media feeds on such news, the ad got talked about even more soon after. The company even released a formal statement on the ad. The smart folks at Aviation Gin capitalised on the whole situation by casting the same lady from the Peloton ad in the context of her enjoying the smooth gin, celebrating new beginnings and a tongue-in-cheek reference to ‘looking good’.
Why does this work when most such efforts to newsjack an event fail? Firstly, there is a product connect. A drink to forget or overcome some ordeal is common. Secondly, Ryan Reynolds has a history of creating fun commercials either for his own brands like Aviation Gin or other brands like Samsung. And when he shares the work on his personal social media profiles it is bound to get some traction.
Singtel: The Gift
Several brands are now urging consumers to reduce their mobile and social media time to make real connections in the offline world. A section of the society has felt the need for ‘digital detox’, realising our addiction to mobiles. I am not sure if it is changing behaviour on a large scale as ‘time spent on mobile’ seems to be on the increase. At best, some aware consumers are consciously reducing and limiting their mobile & social media time. Singtel, a telecom player has released a film which is rooted on such insights. According to a research smartphone users on average spend two hours fifty one minutes on their smartphones and less than 45 minutes with their families. However, mobile phones, do serve a positive purpose, are part of our lives and cannot be wished away. The Singtel film takes a realistic view – urging users to prioritise family time over gadgets.
It is interesting that a telecom brand has initiated such a message. The pros outweigh the cons as such efforts imbue the brand as someone with positive values thereby increasing affinity.
Credits: Akanga Film Asia
Burger King: whopper bus
This effort would probably appeal more to audience in the UK as it is both topical and culturally relevant there. Burger King’s bus side panel placement which simply said, ‘Another whopper on the side of a bus. Must be an election’ got worldwide attention. To the uninitiated, ‘whopper’ could also connote a ‘blatant lie’ and refers to Vote Leave’s claims, which was promoted through bus adverts in 2016.
Agency: BBH
Which one was your favourite? Comment in.
1 Comment
I was seriously going to declare Singtel as my 1st. but then Burger King knocked me off. It’s succinct yet succulent. Sorry, Singtel, you need to share space now.